Characters
Madoka Kaname (鹿目 まどか) A 14-year-old girl whose life changes when she encounters the Puella Magi Homura and the familiar Kyubey, who offers to transform her into a Puella Magi herself. She sees herself as a person without special qualities or talents, and after seeing Mami fighting against witches, wants to be a wonderful and cool Puella Magi like her. She is a rather selfless girl who wishes to be a magical girl simply so that she can help others. She allegedly has a large amount of magical potential within her. Homura Akemi (暁美 ほむら) ''' Homura is a magical girl who first appears in an apocalyptic nightmare of Madoka's. She transfers into her school the day after the dream. She is a beautiful, mysterious individual that performs exceptionally well in academics and athletics. This makes her instantly popular even though she is cold to others. She seems to know Madoka well and wishes to prevent her from becoming a magical girl. She attacks Kyubey in the first episode, only to be stopped by Mami. '''Sayaka Miki (美樹 さやか) Madoka's classmate who, after helping Madoka rescue Kyubey, ends up getting an offer to become a Puella Magi herself. She cares deeply for her friends, and wants to help an ill boy named Kyousuke Kamijou, whom she has a crush on. Before becoming a Puella Magi, Sayaka wields a baseball bat that Mami can enhance with magic to defend herself with while on witch hunts. Mami Tomoe (巴 マミ) Mami is particularly focused on saving those around her, with a traditionally selfless perspective on the role of magical girl, and has a habit of giving names to her finishing attacks. Though her outward disposition is cheery and confident, Mami feels deeply alone as she has no friends to confide in or support her as she fights. Kyouko Sakura (佐倉 杏子) Having grown up in a poor family, she often has to steal food and hates people who waste it, a logic she also applies to Grief Seeds, as she only goes after fully grown witches. Kyouko has been a Puella Magi much longer than the others, and thus is more skillful; she wields a spear which can extend itself, split into multiple sections, and produce a ball at the end of a chain, which can constrict and hit others at the same time. She also has the ability to put up barriers to protect others or keep them from interfering. She initially clashes with Sayaka, but after learning the truth about Soul Gems, she sympathizes with her and tries to help her. 'Kyubey - Incubator (キュゥべぇ) -' "messenger of magic" (魔法の使者 mahō no shisha) who grants the wishes of young girls, but in exchange contracts their services as magical girls. Girls who form a contract with him are tasked to defeat witches — bizarre entities that feed upon the hopes and dreams of normal people. Kyubey features prominently as a character within the entire Puella Magi series. "I want you to form a contract with me and become magical girls!"